Title : MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS.

Corporate Author : RAND CORP SANTA MONICA CALIF

Personal Author(s) : Hill,L. S.

Report Date : JUN 1966

Pagination or Media Count : 70

Abstract : The study attempts to establish a basic framework for improvement of management controls for exploratory and advanced development programs not incorporating subsystem design activities. While some of the current managerial control reports are very useful when applied, improvement in control procedures is necessary: (1) a more complete orientation of the work toward objectives and subobjectives; (2) explicit recognition of uncertainty; and (3) integration of time, cost, and performance factors. Since a single set of management controls will not suffice for every project, some generalized procedures are suggested that managers can adapt to their own needs: (1) a method for incorporating tree diagrams as a means for portraying progress against objectives and sub-objectives; (2) techniques for tracking estimates of success and ranges of estimates-to-complete based on the use of checklists for preparing subjective estimates of the uncertainties involved; and (3) a planning and control tool providing summary time, cost, and performance progress against estimates for a structure of objectives and sub-objectives. (Author)